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The New York Liberty are the 2023 WNBA Commissioner's Cup champions after beating the Las Vegas Aces 82-63 in the final on Tuesday. It's another statement win for the Liberty against the league-leading Aces, this time in Las Vegas at the Michelob Ultra Arena.
Sabrina Ionescu had an off-night for the Liberty but still ended up with 12 points and eight rebounds. Breanna Stewart had an even worse night, with 13 points on 4-16 shooting.
However, Jonquel Jones and Marine Johannes picked up the slack for New York. Jones had 16 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks, while Johannes scored 17 points off the bench, going 6-8 from the field including 5-7 from beyond the arc.
It was a close game after the first two quarters, but the Liberty pulled away in the third quarter and finished it off in the final period.
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Jonquel Jones won the Commissioner's Cup MVP for her performance on Tuesday. All the players for the New York Liberty will receive $30,000 each for winning the WNBA's version of the NBA in-season tournament.
The Liberty became the third team to win the Commissioner's Cup, after the Seattle Storm in 2021 and the Las Vegas Aces last year. Both the Liberty and Aces earned their way to the final after having the best record in Cup play.
It was also the Aces' first home loss of the season and just their fourth overall. While the Cup games count for the regular season record, the final does not. That means New York will still have a 24-6 record, and the Aces are at 27-3.
Las Vegas' loss on Tuesday was the second time they lost to the Liberty this season and were held below 65 points once again. They were blown out 99-61 on Aug. 6 at the Barclays Center.
Furthermore, it was the worst defeat for the Aces since Becky Hammon took over as coach.
Will Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty face off in WNBA Finals?
The Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty are the two best teams in the WNBA this season. They have the two-best record in the league and recently played the Commissioner's Cup final. Tuesday's matchup could also be a preview of the 2023 WNBA Finals.
Based on the current standings, the Aces and Liberty could face off in the WNBA Finals as long as New York maintains their current spot. They're just three games ahead of the Washington Mystics with over a month left in the season.
The Aces might be dominating the league but are 1-2 against the Liberty this season. They face each other two more times in the regular season: on Thursday in Las Vegas and on Aug. 28 in New York.
